This is easily the best Sichuan food in the area, though be prepared for that signature spicy and numbing sensation. It's a good idea to order the chrysanthemum tea alongside your meal to help soothe your palate. Since the dishes are served family-style, it's a perfect spot to visit with a small group so you can try a bit of everything. They've transitioned to a website-based ordering system, which makes the process smooth even if you don't speak Chinese. Finding the place can be a little tricky at first, as the entrance is tucked away at the back of the building right by the parking lot. It's a fantastic, authentic find once you know where to look. read more

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We came here for mid-autumn festival dinner a few months ago. We tried calling ahead to make a reservation, but were told we had to book a private room with a spending minimum. We decided to try walk-in because we had kids and seniors that wanted to eat early. Arriving at 5:30pm they said they can accommodate us in the back room. It was a bit crammed, but we fit. The back room seemed like an addition to the nice restaurant in the front. Minimal decor with a few booths and tables. It felt like we were dining in the servants quarter. The food was okay, but expensive. We probably won't come back when there are many restaurants that are either better value or have nicer ambiance. read more

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My company came here to host a Christmas dinner and surprisingly did not disappoint. The restaurant is large enough to host a big party of around 30 guest in one large table. They had a separate upstairs room with karaoke available for guests. The food was great, it was not as spicy as I thought it would be. Service was great and the ambiance was a joyous time. Would come back for the food. Ample back parking space available. read more

Chengdu Impression - Szechuan Near Me - Arcadia, California

We went back to Chengdu Impression again, with bottles of wine. The pity was that everyone that night felt the dishes were not as good as before. It made you feel they had changed the chef. Let's talk about the food: 椒麻竹筍 Bamboo Shoots in Szechuan Pepper & Scallion Sauce - $13.99 Obviously not fresh bamboo, in a weird green sauce. Spicy, but without the numbness from Szechuan pepper. 5/10 映像蘸水牛筋 Marinated Beef Tendon with Chili Sauce - $22.99 Hard to bite. The chili oil dipping sauce was tasteless, with no flavor or aroma. 5/10 農家小炒肉 Wok-Fried Sliced Pork Belly with Shishito Pepper - $22.99 It was okay, but why use Shishito? More expensive than normal Chinese green peppers and tasteless. 7/10 酸菜魚 Sliced Snakehead Fish in Spicy Pickle Broth - $32.99 Full of pre-prepared flavor, and the fish felt the same. 5/10 蒜香辣子雞 Dry Fried Diced Chicken with Chili and Garlic - $23.99 Very good. We ordered it again. 9/10 麻婆豆腐 Mapo Tofu (with minced beef) - $16.99 Good, classic, with no drawback. I still couldn't find the minced beef. 黑椒杏鮑菇牛柳 Wok-Fried Beef with King Oyster Mushroom in Black Pepper Sauce - $23.99 The worst dish. The presentation was not clean. I don't mean the plate was dirty, but the entire output was not neat for a good restaurant. It looked like a sloppy roadside stall dish. 3/10 乾鍋培根花菜 Dry Pot Cauliflower with Bacon - $16.99 Acceptable, but with no Wok Hei (鑊氣) at all. 5/10 紅糖糍粑 Crispy Sticky Rice Cake with Brown Sugar Dip - $10.99 Good, the best of the night. 10/10 紅糖冰粉 Iced Jelly with Brown Sugar Syrup - $5.99 Good, my favorite dessert anywhere. 9/10 read more

If you're into Szechuan food, then give us a place to try. With so many different spots to eat similar foods, this one is pretty decent. In general, they do a good job with the boiled fish, spicy fried chicken (popcorn chicken), and have vegetable options as well. Their spice level is pretty comparable to other restaurants of the same type of food. They're not stingy about their portions and 30 decently priced (for now). It's pretty casual inside and moderate noise level. read more

Wanted to get some lunch that was not our typical fare. How I miss working in the SGV because of the delicious options. Chengdu Impression certainly did not disappoint. We had the deal for two. Our selection the Pork Belly with pan fried veggies, seasonal veggies, and my fav sliced beef and tofu in chili oil sauce. Service was efficient, place is clean and the menu has many traditional dishes. Do yourself a favor and get some flavor! read more

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Chengdu Impression is a Szechuan Chinese restaurant specializing in numbing spice dishes, located near the iconic Windmill Denny's with plenty of parking in the back and an entrance accessible from the lot. The restaurant itself is clean, with ample seating that accommodates both small and large groups. A thoughtful touch greets diners--a bowl of guava candy near the entrance. During my Sunday lunch visit, the restaurant wasn't busy, with just 2-3 tables occupied at any given time. It's an ideal spot for gatherings, though I'd recommend reservations for larger parties. The service was attentive but lacked warmth, and while the staff explained which dishes could have spice levels adjusted, they didn't offer much guidance while we were deciding what to order. The meal began with complimentary pickled cabbage, daikon, and roasted salted peanuts. Among the dishes I tried, some were underwhelming for the price. The dan dan mien at $16.99 for a "large" portion didn't feel large at all, and the flavor was standard--replicable at home for less. The deep-fried diced chicken with chili and garlic at $23.99, while tasty, had small chicken pieces overshadowed by a surplus of peppers and garlic. I've had superior versions of this dish elsewhere. Similarly, the wok-fried beef with king oyster mushrooms in black pepper sauce ($23.99) was flavorful but portioned too small for its cost. On the other hand, there were standout dishes. The beef brisket in tomato broth ($28.99) was a highlight, offering tender brisket in a rich, umami, and slightly sweet tomato sauce that paired beautifully with rice. A cold appetizer of cordyceps flower with bean curd skin was also impressive--flavorful, texturally interesting, and one of the more reasonably priced dishes at $13.99. The sliced snakehead fish in spicy pickled broth was another winner at $32.99. Presented more as a soup, the fish was tender and silky, though the dish lacked pickled vegetables as promised. Despite this, it complemented rice nicely. The dining atmosphere is better suited for eating than socializing. We were asked to leave due to the restaurant's afternoon closure, which felt abrupt but fair. It would have been nice to be told further in advance. Overall, the food was enjoyable, though portions were small, and the prices leaned toward the high end. While the restaurant positions itself as a higher-end Chinese dining experience, the service and execution didn't quite match that vision. read more

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This place makes traditional dishes that have a numbing spice, a unique experience, and friendly waiters.Additionally, this place is pretty quiet and peaceful and a bit hard to find but it was great!Would come again in the future. read more

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Good authentic Sichuan food. Pleasant service with friendly people. I got taken out so wasn't really paying attention.

Sichuan cuisine is a high-wire act of flavor--heat, numbing, aroma, memory. You walk into Chengdu Impression expecting the gut punch: that tongue-tingling oil, that scatter of peppercorn, that bravery of palate. Instead, you get... fine. That's not a failure, per se--it's just not a journey. You have the mapo tofu. You whisper to yourself: "Panda Inn does this better." Shocking, right? But it's true. Something in the execution here is polite. Dry. The performance is competent--technically sound, inoffensive--but definitely in an elevator muzak sort of way and not great jazz. To reach the heights of mapo tofu magic, you need reckless abandon. A sauce that bites. A balance that teases. This one hugs the line but never jumps. read more

Chengdu Impression - Szechuan Near Me - Arcadia, California

Excellent Chinese food with a modern twist. We had the alumni get together in a big dining room that can seat 24 ppl. They can also accommodate karaoke! We ordered all kinds of meat, seafood, soup and appetizers. The lobster, fatty duck and sweet and sour fish are must-haves! read more

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This is a great restaurant in between temple City and Arcadia area. I have been here before and the dishes are savory and super spicy. I am not a person that can take spicy food but for those that enjoys spicy food, this is the place for you. They have a variety of delicious dishes from pig intestines to spicy and sour fish soup to choose from. All dishes brings out the unique spicy flavors and burns the tongue in a good way. Drop by if you are in the area and they have a private room for huge group of people. Make sure you ask for the minimum change for the private room and the parking is a bit tricky located in the back of the restaurant. read more

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My aunt wanted to treat us to lunch today so we decided to come to Chengdu. If you're looking for Szechuan food, this place would be for you. But for me, it was too much of the numbing peppercorn in all the dishes. We ordered their lunch special for four that included five different dishes and order an extra noodle and beef dish. The price for special lunch was great for the portion. The food was good at first and second bites, but afterwards because of the numbing peppers, the food kind of just blended together. The food was also pretty greasy so it kind of gave me an upset tummy afterwards. The prices are a little high but if you can handle the spice, you can give them a try. read more

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First time try this place. Learned it from little red notes. The place is clean. The main area for customers sits about capacity of 50-65. Menu is easy to use. The speed of the food service was really fast. Spicy. Good for sure. They have few private rooms in the upstairs. For example, four people room cover charges 250. Plus taxes. Tips. read more

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I was really pleased with the taste from Chengdu Impression. This is our second time here and service was excellent. The dishes are very authentic which reminds me of traditional Sychuan taste of spicy and savory. I recommend their lunch specials as you get to try a variety of dishes. I look forward on coming back to try some of the other dishes. read more

We were surprised with how delicious was this unique looking cauliflower sautéed with bacon. The bass with black bean sauce was also delicious. The Dan Dan noodles were good but better if you add their chili oil hot sauce. They have many choices in their dinner menu, including Wagyu fried rice. read more

Chengdu Impression - Unique looking cauliflower sautéed with bacon - Szechuan Near Me - Arcadia, California

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TLDR: One of the BEST Chinese spicy food locations that you can visit. If you can speak Mandarin, that's a big plus! I highly recommend everything on their menu but on a serious note can vouch for their mapo tofu and crispy spicy diced chicken. - - - - - - Ugh! I am soooo mad at myself for thinking that this was closed because I viewed it from the big parking lot! The window designs are so misleading... don't be fooled and make sure to walk in. And as you can imagine, big parking lot means easy parking - yay! I visited with a friend on a Saturday night and ordered their mapo tofu, crispy spicy diced chicken with dry chili, and asparagus with wood ear mushrooms. The mapo tofu was SPICY but in a good way; each bite was flavorful, and there is more than enough to go around for two. The asparagus and wood ear mushrooms were an excellent and gentle palate cleanser, a nice, crunchy relief from the resto f the spice in our dishes. And lastly, the spicy crispy spicy diced chicken... if you could chew fire and spit fireballs, this is probably the closest thing to it - it's addicting. Despite how spicy it is, it was so tasty that it was difficult to not take another bite... my friend and I ate this it were dessert and needless to say, no leftovers on this dish! Thankfully there is some relief for the hot and spicy dishes. The interior is decorated fairly clean, mostly lights and brights. The overall tone is quite relaxing, and contrasts well how much you "might" be sweating if you aren't used to handling spicy foods. read more

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Staff is somewhat UN-accommodating , but maybe thats the restaurant culture. Asked to be seated elsewhere since we had a larger party to which they declined, and when asked for some refills of their peanut and cucumber side dish (this is after we ordered at least 2 dishes per person), the waitstaff also declined saying that it's one time serving only. Guess its understandable but just leaves a slight sour taste Overall the food was decent, but might need some getting used to its mala flavors for new visitors read more

Only had 3 items because the portions are big. Had the spicy chicken the tofu egg mushroom soup or it might not be a soup?? and Dan dan noodles. The noodles themselves were smacking with good flavor on the sauce. The spicy chicken was spicy but not over the top, a bit too crispy for me. The star was the egg tofu with mushrooms it was a jelly like base very yellow so delicious and the veggies were a perfect complement to it all. It's a bit loud and small in there, but not bothersome. The wait staff is quick and attentive. Overall quality food well portioned and priced just right. read more

This place is really good. All of their dishes are bomb and I drink a lot of water and they constantly come and make sure we don't run out

After living in the area for many years and driven by dozens of times, we finally came here for lunch. I never read up on its history but heard it's considered an upscale restaurant that focuses on spicy numbing dishes, which is one of my favorites. The prices for each dish is in line with the upscale reputation, but that's where it ends. Arrived around lunch time and were told to go upstairs. The 2nd floor has a low ceiling, smaller tables and booths that were divided by wooden partitions. We sat at a window seat overlooking Huntington Drive. First few things I immediately noticed were the huge tear on the bench seating (see my photo) The windows were grimy with years of built up grease & dust and the table and the floor were sticky. Not sure what they used to clean the tables but ... yuck. We tried their Dan Dan noodles. Very tasty and likely one of the best we've ever had. 5/5. The crispy chicken with dried peppers is a common dish but this was not good. The small pieces of chicken were all over cooked and dry, and the dish was mostly peppers for flavor. At $23., I'd advise you to avoid it. 2/5. Mapo tofu was extremely oily but packed with flavor and goes well with a bowl of rice. They did it right. 4/5. Speaking of rice, an individual bowl of rice is $1.50. Not sure if that's a good deal but in this kind of restaurant, it's necessary. Also got the crispy rice cakes with brown sugar. Sticky glutenous rice that look like McD's has browns are served hot with a brown sugar dipping sauce. For me personally, it's OK. It's not my thing so I won't comment on it. For a supposed upscale restaurant, the service is more in line with a hole in the wall. Our server made no attempt at providing any type of decent service, just the bare minimum. The portions are also on the smaller side compared to many other places in the SGV. Those reasons, along with the lack of cleanliness gets this place a generous 3 star. read more

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Omg hidden gem. we were debating going to Panda Inn the restaurant and decided to come here! Omg will not be disappointed. service on point, amazing food. order the wok fried pork belly with shishitos peppers!!! read more

Ordered the fried pork intestine with dried chilli and celery to go. There are many different pork intestine dish on chinese cuisine, so i confirmed with them if this is the crispy intestine one and they confirmed that it is. It was not. I also asked if the celery can be replaced with any other vegetable, and they refused. Fair enough. I was expecting for a sichuan in your face spicy mala kind of dish, but their stir fried pork intestine with dried chilli is more on the brown sauce style that is slightly sweet and not as spicy. Would have enjoyed it anyways if it's truly amazing, but unfortunately, it's just okay. The place look nice, good for lunch or dinner. To go portion is a bit on the smaller side considering the price range. But the disappointment from being told something while getting another thing is enough to deter me from coming back. read more

We came here for a friend's birthday lunch. There are not many options of spicy Sichuan food with a nice setting in Arcadia. This restaurant is located conveniently on Huntington Dr and parking is free and plenty in the back. The restaurant interior was renovated last year. So it is very modern with an Asian twist. Many private rooms on the second floor. We were seated at tone of the nice room with a view. The server was attentive. We came in 20mins before the kitchen closing for lunch but they were very accommodating. The food came really quick most dishes within 20 mins. My favorite is the sour pickle fish. It is spicy with a nice sour twist. And it didn't taste fishy at all. Spicy boiled bullfrog was such a big portion with bamboo shoots and lotus. Wok fried Pork belly with pepper is such a nice dish that goes well with white rice. The non spicy dish tomato beef was also amazing. Beef is very tender. Great option for the kids and elderly. Surprisingly everyone's favorite was the sticky rice cake. should have ordered 2 orders. Must try! Will definitely come back very often! They also offer lunch specials with $39.9 for 2 and $69.9 for 4. read more

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I was looking for a place for lunch for grandma's birthday. I saw photos on Yelp and thought it was fancy enough to take her here. There's parking in the back but I found a spot on the street. I must say, the atmosphere isn't as fancy as the photos. The sofa chair is ripped and there's food on the ground. Perhaps it's the table/area we got seated at. It also doesn't help that utensils and plates are paper/plastic. If I knew from the start I would have picked another restaurant to celebrate her birthday at. Perhaps they are being careful because of Covid-19. Here's what I got: Tilapia with spicy pickle sauce Kung pao chicken Pot fried noodles with pork belly Double cooked pork belly with garlic shoots Wok friend cauliflower with chilli Despite the atmosphere not being as impressive as the photos, the food was amazing! My grandma did asked for mild spicy on these dishes though. Honestly, every single dishes we ordered were tasty. These dishes don't come with rice so we ordered separately. The food and customer service was great. Hopefully they can do something about the atmosphere. read more

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Best dish I can recommend is the beef tendon and bamboo. This dish had all the glorious numbing spiciness flavors I was looking for, and the bamboo and tendon were so great together. I actually tried to recreate this dish a week or so later, definitely not as good as theirs, but I'm inspired by this combo of crunchy bamboo and tender meat. The dan dan noodles weren't really anything special, so you can skip this one if you're not a big fan of them. I would recommend the dish I mentioned above, and the twice cooked pork. Really tasty! read more

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- Locale Destination - Ambiance: very casual with a touch of upper-scale-like decor. But overall it's not fancy unlike the menu price. Menu: duck, seafood, noodle etc. Wide range. Price: $$$, not $$$. Sides start from $16, entrees like +$30 at least. For this casual setting, way overpriced. Service: fast and minimal. Plastic water bottle, paper napkins for $$$. Parking: We walked from our hotel, so I'm not sure. - Gluttony Expedition - Mapo tofu: very authentic flavor with all spices. Quite spicy but tasty! Very big portion easily for 3 people. Beef with shishito peppers: very spicy but tasty. Cabbage: unlike other items, this isn't spicy, which is great to mild out the overall spiciness. Very good. - Conqueror's Deduction - Foods were all tasty, but quite spicy - I've warned you. The price is a bit too overpriced - taste quality is high, but no ambiance and very small portions for the price. It's definitely not $$. It's more like $$$. 3 dishes are more than enough for 2 people despite of small portions (probably due to the spiciness, we were too full). If you want really authentic flavors, come here! read more

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My first time trying out this place. I'm surprised that they not only offer spicy but they have plenty options for non spicy food as well. The beef ribs were pretty bomb and large portion. overall experience was nice and chill. read more

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Food Fantastic Service Excellent Ambiance Boiled beef in hot chili oil is sensational!!! read more

Nice Sichuan place with plenty of seating and interior decor definitely has had thought. 2 stories and smaller parties are seated away from larger parties. Took my parents here and they really liked the food, but considering the price it's not the most worth-it Sichuan food we've ever had. Fish filet in chili oil - thinly sliced black drum filet atop a bed of veggies like lotus root, bean sprouts, potatoes, and celery. Presentation is great, comes in its own large wok. But $60 Stir-fried Asparagus with Agaric - pretty standard stir fry, nothing special. Tastes like my mom's. Liberal use of garlic. Double-cooked pork belly w bean paste sauce - Most worth dish on the menu imo. Pork belly is sliced very thinly so some edges are crispy and I'm pretty sure they use pixian bean paste (郫县豆瓣酱) which is exactly what my family uses in Sichuan. Iced Jelly w brown sugar sauce - Ok i loved this. No complaints about this at all. 冰粉 with brown sugar sauce, chewy mochi, and small chunks of peach. When we asked the server how they made it, she was very knowledgeable about the process too, which was a plus. Overall good place to get authentic Sichuan food. Service isn't over the top but that's pretty authentically Sichuan too Just pricey. Come here if someone else is paying. read more

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They don't use silken tofu in the mapo tofu, which is devastating for a supposedly elevated Sichuanese restaurant. Other than that, the flavor is decent and they used ginger in the jelly noodle which is not something I've encountered. read more

I used to like coming here but now I have no interest. The updates didn't do much in the way of making the place comfortable. The amount of food per dish has seriously dropped while the prices went up. So it meant to not overspend we left hungry. Not how it used to be there so it's not worth going. Also everything got too spicy and lost flavor read more

I worked overseas in Chengdu this year and after eating there and remembering this place the authentic taste this restaurant has is uncanny. Definitely true to flavor. And yes! The spice level is there! Can't wait to go back to the restaurant ! And Chengdu itself! read more

遺憾，何嘗不是一種成全，有些遺憾不是得到的少，而是期望的高，有些遺憾，不是不想，而是不能，有些遺憾也許是沒有活成自己期許的模樣，其實大家都是獨一無二的，殊不知當你的羨慕別人的時候，自己也是別人成不了的風景呀，人生不就像我們舌尖上各個不同的餐廳，凝聚著酸甜苦辣的味道，只是大家的味覺不同，自然感受有異，所以呀，若我們都能認清路過的都是精彩， 留下來的才是幸福，試著讓自己能看笑人生，未來的日子也才能海闊天空 ，接受遺憾未必不美，是歲月裡的另一種成全～接受我們的人生雖然無法完美，卻可以是完整的 這個印象成都，不曉得是不是很多人都知道，可是幾個禮拜前我去的時候，人倒是沒有很多，從頭到尾就三桌，這種吃辣辣的菜， 我自己永遠不會自投羅網，都是被帶去的， 還好，辣，還是能吃一點的， 東西好像比較油一些， 味道偏重（想想，好像是廢話，要吃辣的難道還偏清爽嗎？）價格就是那半隻鴨有點貴， 其他的善可接受，然後我記得 看了Yelp 上不斷出現的小熊貓甜點，他們沒有，，這點本格格不開心，， 其他的就自己看了！ -- eating lunch at Chengdu Impression. read more

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We had the hot and sour jelly noodle appetizer, Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken and a side of Dan Dan Noodles walking with some rice. We knew to expect authentic Chengdu food. It was full of many new surprising flavors. And, I'm guessing this place is the best you can find. But, sadly I'm used to the Americanized Chinese flavors and for me I couldn't relax and enjoy the authentic ones. One clever touch was that our meal was served in togo containers and when we left we just needed some lids. read more

Chengdu Impression - Hot and sour jelly noodle and Kung Pao chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This place was pretty good! Sadly two items that we really wanted was out of stock. And then the third one was too... but might go back just to try it! It's pretty delicious and flavors was really good. Mungbean noodle: like all the other places Fish and sour cabbage: delicious!! Bamboo and beef tendon: I guess it wished it was half beef and half tendon but it was all tendon. Flavor was good tho! Spicy and sour glass noodle: sooo good! Shishito and country style pork: must get!!! Really really good Eggplant: a little oily but good Spare rib: not bad! read more

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We went to Chengdu Impression on Sunday night. As a Native Chengdunese, I really like their food. Pungent & Spicy Chicken is really tasty and good. Sichuan Boiled Fish is super good. Sichuan Red Oil Wontons is delicious with prefect seasonings. Sweet & Sour Pork Rib, the rib size is little bit bigger than traditional size, but still taste great. Every dish that we tried there are very good. I really like their Interior design. It reminds me my hometown Chengdu's old buildings' structures and style. We will come back for sure to try some other dishes. read more

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My friend treated me to their lunch special two weeks ago, all the dishes were tasty. So I called for a take out order, but thought it was much more expensive than expected. Once I got home, noticed the packing slip was stapled to the brown bag, and the first item charged was 1 pound packing fee-this was not mentioned when I called for the order, also I was rushed to sign the CC charge, didn't pay attention to the itemized receipt. I have never experienced this charge? Anyone? Anyway, the server seems like she was forced to work there Anyways, even tho the food is pretty tasty, we will never go back or recommend to any friend. P.S. we have been there when they first opened many years ago, does anyone know they changed owner since? read more

Chengdu Impression - Szechuan Near Me - Arcadia, California

I love this place, the food has been great over multiple visits. The spice isn't too overwhelming for most of the dishes which is great for an intro to Szechuan! Would definitely recommend to any newcomer read more

Came on a Saturday evening, and it wasn't too crowded. They sat us in the room by the back entrance. The only thing I didn't care for all evening was the bright lighting in that dining area. Our dinner was delicious. We had the Mapo Tofu, steamed vegetables which were bok choy, Dan Dan noodles, pork dumplings, and fried rice. Our favorite dish was the tofu. It was quite spicy and yummy. I have never cared much for tofu, so that says A LOT! I probably wouldn't order the fried rice again. It was good, but there was nothing special about it. The Dan Dan noodles were incredibly delicious, but very difficult for this Anglo to eat with chopsticks because the entire bowl appeared to be one very long noodle. I could have used a knife, but there didn't appear to be any in sight. They have a small, very limited, EXPENSIVE wine list. We did not have wine. The next time I'm in the mood for very authentic spicy Szechuan cuisine, this will be my go-to restaurant. The service was prompt and there is plentiful free parking in the back of the restaurant. read more